In playing billiards, it is essential that both hands be used to manipulate the cue stick in such a manner that the stick is moved along its longitudinal axial centerline towards the geometrical center of the cue ball, or towards a predetermined location on the outer surface of the ball. The most common support for the cue stick is the left hand, which is placed plam down about six inches from the ball. The fingers of the left hand are contorted into a saddle comprised of the thumb, index, and middle finger. Most beginners are discouraged from playing billiards because of the difficulty experienced in forming the saddle.
The more feminine species of our sex, and especially delicately constructed females, experience difficulty in forming the hand into a suitable saddle or cue guide, such as exemplified by FIG. 3 of U.S. Pat. No. 4,053,153. For this reason, various different approaches have been made in order to overcome this inability, such as exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,563,543; 1,092,189; 453,797; 2,931,649; 2,399,931; 2,817,525; 3,836,145; and 3,416,794.
However, in each of the above recited prior art references, the mechanical guide relied upon is complex in design and in some instances requires modification of the cue stick itself.
In order to make the game of billiards more attractive to everyone, it is desirable that there be provided a cue stick guide apparatus which is inexpensive, small enough to be carried on one's person so that it is available at all times, attractive in appearance so as to be acceptable to the more fastidious segment of billiard playing society, and especially is of a design which improves one's ability to play billiards.
Accordingly, the present invention provides a device which eliminates the necessity of contorting the hand into a saddle, and which enables the beginner to concentrate on the details of the game rather than upon the abstract proposition of contemplating his distorted hand.